Improvement in seasoning and preserving wood



J. c. DAY, or uncknrfrsTown, New JERSEY.`

Letters Patent No. 100,380, dated .lllafrchI 1, 41870.l

IMPROVEMENT IN SASONING- AND PRESERVING- WOOD.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, J. C. DAY, of Hackettstown, county of Warren, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvemeuts in Kilns for Seasoning and Preserving Wood, of which the following is a specification.

Nata/rc and Object. The first part of invention relates to the apparatus for expelling all deleterious substances fronfthe4 wood, and so thoroughly heating it, without in any manner checking or injuring 'its ber, that when it is taken from the kiln it will possess all the properties of thoroughly-seasoned lumber,v

The second part of my invention relates to certain devices so connected with said kiln that when the wood or lumber is thoroughly dried,and just beforeit is vallowed to cool and condense into its last stagel of seasoning, certain substances may be readily intro ducedthat will prevent the absorption of any deleterions elements that would tend to the decay of the woody fiber. Y

Description of thc Drawings.l

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the kiln, with its condenser, circulating-fan, and lifting-pump.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the saine, but with some of the parts in elevation and-a partial view of the boiler.

General Description..

A is a large rectangular chamber or `box for receiving the wood to be treated, and as it may ber required to endure a considerable degree of pressure, it oughtto be Vmade of iron sheets or plates, so firmly riveted together as to form steam or air-tight joints. Y

To prevent radiation of the internal heat, this box or receiver 'should be so tjacketed with some non-conducting substances that the internal temperature will not be to any appreciable extent affected by the variable external changes of the weather, as it is of 'the utmost importance' that thetemperatur shouldbe perfectly contnslled. This jacket is represented in the drawings as made of plank, and -with an air-space .between the receiver A and the non-conducting jacket.

One end of said receiver is furnished with doors to admit the'wood or material to be treated. Within said receiver, and around its sides and ends, orso much always be below the lowest pipe in the system ot' radiators, or otherwise a force-pump will be required to return the condensed water in the boiler.

At S is another pipe connecting the steam-space of the boiler with the interior of the chamber' A, and'each of these three pipes is provided with stop-cocks, as at 1,2, and 3.

At H, and on a level wit-h the inner door ofthe receiving-chamber A, is constructed a rectangular condensing-chamber, which is made ofthe same material as the chamber A, but without any jacket, and the side or edge where it is joined tothe chamber A is left open so that a complete and free communication is made between the two chambers, as indicated at H and H.

A t the outer edge of the condensing-chamber, as at H', a, depression or trough is formed in the bottom to receive the liquid that may be condensed in the chambers A and H, and also to hold at all times a certain.

of pressure to be given tothe chambers A and H, and y also serves as a safety-valve against' any expansive pressure that may be' generated in the receivingchamber.

At F, or any convenient side of thereceiving-chami ber A, and in any convenient manner,- a rotary fan is connected to the receiving-chamber by two pipes, as indicated in the drawings.

The object of said fan is twofold: first, tocause a circulationwithin the chamber A, and, secondly, to

introduce. air when desired; consequently, one ot' the pipes, or that leading from the fau to the chamber, as indicated hy the arrow, is placed near the bottom of the chamber A and the other pipe, leading from the chamber to the fan, is connected near the top of the chamber, and leads to the center of the fan-case. This pipe is also furnished with a stop-cock, so that when air `from the outside is to be introduced and nocirculation is required, a slide at t in the end ofthe fancase-may be removed, and the upper pipe closed.

Y It may be here remarked that so much of the appa ratus as already described is essential to the perfect 'operation o a kiln for seasoning wood or lumber, and experiment `has'provedv that the combination of these parts alone constitutes an exceedingly useful invention without the addition of the apparatus for applying de-A oxidizing or other substances for preserving the wood. Consequentlyr the process of seasoning will here be explained.

The wood to be treated is placed withinthe chamber A in layers\vith small strips between the several layers, asin the air-drying process at the mills or lumbeisyards, and the chamber is closed.

A sufficient quantity of water is introduced in the Vltrough at N,' to give whatever back pressure is necessaryto resist the pressure of steam now to be introduced into the chamber A through the pipe S.

If the lumber is very green, or has been well saturated with water, as is the case when direct from the raft, but little steam-pressure will be required, and may be dispensed with entirely, as the'only object is to heat the wood to such a degree as to expand the moisture within its bers, and this may be readily done by admitting steam to,the radiating pipes l5 B through the supply-pipe O, and permitting the condensel; steam or water to return to the boiler through i ev P Is a temperature of two hundred and twelve degrees can be produced almost instantly within the chamber by the admission of steam direct-ly upon the lumber through the' pipe S, it is best to open the steam-cock at 1 until the steam begins to escape freely through the water-trap at N. Then shut it oli', and gradually raise the temperature in the radiators'or pipes B B until the entire mass is thoroughly heated.

The increase ot' temperature will expel the moisture from the wood, and the pores ot' the wood will also be expanded thereby, but if the chamber be permitted toA cool in such a condition, and while it is tiiled with expanded moisture, much ot' the moisture or sap will `again return to the wood, and the process will be very -imperfectly performed. To overcome this diiculty, the fan and condensing-chainber have been supplied, and while the temperature ot' chamber A is being gradually increased, the fan is set in operation to circolate the heated vapors expelled from thewood, cans ing a circulation in the condenser at H, and as the pressure increases an easy escape for them through the trap at N is furnished.

As the operator progresses, it will also be found beneficial to introduce air by the fan through the valve at t to displace the vapors ii'om'the cham ber, and drive them out through the condenser at N.

After the moisture has been expelled from the wood,

and while the pores are all open, and before a suffi! cient degree of heat has been imparted to the wood to thoroughly season it, or iix by dryness its fibers, as by' baking, is the best time to begin the introduction of any substance to preserve the wood from decay. rIhis I accomplish by means oi' a funnel, as at M, mounted i manso upon a curved pipe, L, the lower end of which enters the top of the chamber A, and immediately over a pan, K, of sheet metal, suspended in any convenient manner -near the top of the chamber.

Said pan is constructed with a peribrated bottom, and as the liquids, suchl as' petroleum, carbolc acid, 85e., are introduced through the funnel, they will ibe distributed over the bottom of the pan K and drip down through the holes. or perforations over the dry and porous wood, and as it is permitted to cool,tl|e preserving elements' will be speedily absorbed thereby. What-ever surplus of materials not absorbed by the wood will collect in the bottom of the4 receiver A, and may be drawn otiiat the pipe Z, or it will be more convenient to have a pump, as at i, to connect with the tanks for holding the preserving liquids, and the upper end with the top of the chamber A and overthe distributing-pau K, thereby dispensing with the funnel' Maud pipe L, and said 'pump may also be furnished with a branch pipe, as at Y, connected to the bottom of' the chamber AA, so as to draw oi' the surplus and return it to the pan K, thereby dispensing with the pipe Z, if desired.

Claims.

l. In a kiln for seasoning wood, the combination of the chamber A, boiler E, condenser H, andv fan F, when operated together, as described, and for thc purposes set forth. v

2. The combinationoi' the chamber A,coudenser H, and fan F, when their pressures are controlled by the. trap or valve, as at N, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the chamber A, boiler E, and fan F, constructed and operated substantially as described.

4. In combination with the chamberl A, the distribnting-pa-n K, when constructed and operated subst-antially as described. y

.5. In combination with the chamber A andpan K, a circulating-pump, I, and branch pipe Y, so arranged that the liquids dripping to the Hoor may be. returned to `the dstributer whenever desired.

.6. In combination with the condenser H, the cooll. ing-pan W, substantially as described and for the pur` Witnesses:

ABRAHAM lt. DAY, FRANK G. PENDLETON. 

